


Heartstrung in Lab Results

by Rudublynn



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Action & Romance, Blood Loss, Car Chase, Crime Scenes, Crimes & Criminals, Detectives, Disabled Character, Doctor/Chief, Domestic Fluff, F/F, F/M, First Love, Fluff and Angst, Freeform, Hate to Love, Heart-to-Heart, Hospitalization, Knives, Medical Examination, Medical Trauma, Multi, Needles, Post Movie, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Surgery, Terrorism, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, questionable medicine
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-30
Updated: 2016-10-30
Packaged: 2018-08-23 23:57:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8347852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rudublynn/pseuds/Rudublynn
Summary: "The first time I saw that heart, I made the wrong choice for all the right reasons."

Dr. Kagren whispered, just when the Platypus in the next room argued with his daughter, a exchange so fragile the surgeon hadn't wanted to shatter it as she added a shaky,
  "But I gave my patient ten more years,"
A second pair of eyes set on her small frame, calculating from his leaned position on the door. Martin Bogo sent the female the smallest of smiles. It was gone, left as quick as it had appeared. But she captured it with the rise of her dimpled cheek."You never give up on a heart."--When a certain Long Horned Chief offers to drive our Doc' through the annual Monsoon in the Rainforest DIstrict to deliver a Dextrocardiact heart to a dying father,
Who is she, a run down 34 hours without sleep, coffee addict to refuse?--





	

**Author's Note:**

> Notes:  
> Sometimes I’ll be off doing stuff - laundry, errands, working, in Collage, hanging with friends - and then check AO3 and see that I’ve gotten kudos on something or will get an email about a comment and it never fails to blow my mind a little, that while I’m sorting socks or buying broccoli someone has been reading something I’ve written and gotten something out of it. It doesn’t matter how many times it happens. It is a thrill and an honor and a source of happiness every. single. time. 
> 
> Thank you, all of you, who have ever left kudos and comments for any of us. It’s such a gift.

6:49 a.m. 

Seeing up to the balcony overhang of a large, window plastered building. A small furry like creature stepped down from a sky tram. Her cold paws clutching against her cardigan, the edges frayed from constant use. About her animals of all sizes marched to and from the grounds, not many but enough that the female noted that she could get stepped on if not wary. Head peeking around the station's bench she usually rested on and across a wide concrete bridge connecting the two spaces, she was greeted with the familiar. St. Porps Hospital, Research Medical Center; its sweeping roof, topped resting bird folk who's wings were currently ruffled due to the plastering winds that tore through the cities medical section. 

The Fowls bodies huddled together and what she could make out between the chatter that echoed down to her flickering ears; 'Its going to get nasty this one is, mates.' She had to agree, the sky peeking from the branches of the oak tree's did in fact bear storm clouds.

All around leaves of shades orange and yellow fell from the canopy surrounding the enclosed canyon that safehoused this facility, a smart efficient way to help folks feel secured in a lively area but in the not when the winter months roll in, not even the heating elements built into the towering rock walls could cut out its reoccurring wind tunnel. At that size, nope. Her bare toes edged a few leaves away, some damp with the yesterdays rain.

The short creature smiled at the sight. Welcoming. Home.

"and I need to get my butt out of this cold." She muttered, wrapping the blue cotton tighter around her form. Tail at her side, paws frantic to keep it from being taken by another gust of air and her along with it. Frustrated, the small animal held her ground with each step, making her way along the side walk, keeping close to the railing. 

Peeking down she spied the river below, its banks covered high, waters murk filled with mud and fallen tree limbs. She noted to contact head department of Environmental control if gotten any higher. "Stupid rain. Stupid weather..." Her footfalls fast against the ground, quick into the enclosure that stood different to the city behind her. She should of called in really, not much sleep was sure starting to appear under her eyes. Wouldn't know, can't remember the last time she'd of looked in the mirror these last several hours. Might be a good thing to wash up too, both to warm up and - gross - that smell was in the air. Not her, right?

"Libby, Lib! Wait, what-" A voice called, tone deep and breathless catching up to her fleeting departure. She heard his bulky body then she did him the second he parked his car in the lot as she got off her own ride. Okay, another note. Tell Serphire that his engine oil needed to be checked, it made this awful retching sound. 

Nasty. 

A grin set her face as the creature in topic rushed at her side. Eyes up she gazed at the heavy breathing Canine; a quote unquote 'pure Rhodesian Ridgeback' Not that she believed him as he formally boasts it to every female he can try to woo. A shocker if they fall into bed with him for that one liner. Now, his ears flattened and muzzle open in a confused expression,

"oh my sweet baby Jesus, I'm sorry Sphire. I have a Bipass at nine and some lunatic on the free way was honking at me-" Libby tried.

"I'm the lunatic," The dog gestured to himself open pawed, slipping past a couple of lions. "Lib, you left without me; remember that we're carpooling? 'Cause we go to the same place everyday?" He stared down at her busying form and steadied his walking speed along side hers as she passed through the propped open door ways. Figuring that the office decided to air out the large stadium sized lobby instead of air conditioning. Not that they needed it that much in this freaking weather. Inside she brushed down her uneven hair and eyed him up. Her face spoke of realization,

"ohhh- right that's a good idea."

"Yeah is'nt it?"

"well-" She busied across the tile floors making an iffy noise at his expense. "I would, dude. I really would. But that death trap car of yours is screaming, 'kill me now, please!'"

Sputtering at her indication, Sephire instead narrowed his brows. "Another leak? That's the third one this month!" The taller mammal peered behind him to the parking lot and sniffed in concern.

"Forget it now, hot shot." Libby snorted disdainfully, her body bouncing with each hurried step across the way. Two clicks to their right a long spance of stairs stood apart from the first floor and climbed all the way to an island that held the center of the large room. Beams holding its floating like support and primate animals crowded its platform.  
"its lasted 22 years so far, why not another?"

His hope filled eyes shot to her own, Libby could practically feel his tail wagging underneath his trench coat. "Yah think so?"

"Sure, still doesn't mean i'm going to get in the damn thing until you take it to, Crabbies." She declared, the image of their auto mechanic buzzed in her mind a few seconds before she replaced it with the days list. Already at the top where her notes of the morning, she tagged each one mentally on her claws, listing them out with a thoughtful tone,

"With Alex out of town, I have to get my front door fixed from last week, I need to write letters to the district official about a couple things, get the living room carpet pulled out...."

"Here's a thought, now that i'm actually living with you, let me help out. So you don't forget a thing."

"I appreciate that but i'm on top of it, i'll keep you posted." Libby paused mid-step, her form edging closer to her friend, cheek fur brushed his waist with a small smile. Their forms egging into a smaller section, ahead of them several stairs connected to different floors of the medical department, desks stood about the way with assistants posted at each station. Libby herself waving to two that seemingly returned her happy body language with confused stares. Stuck ups. In their sights stood a tall, well rounded doctor. Clad in a white lab coat, plastic covered feet and a note book at his hip. A panda, head bent over a data pad, glasses comfortably sat on a pink heart shaped nose.

As the pair approached, he closed out of his log and smiled. "New hair style?" His gruff Malasyian accident rumbled out, eyes glimmering behind the glass at her. Libby ignored his advance chuckle and stared past the two males jiving comments when the Canine himself added,

"You noticed this?"

She shook hear head just when the elevator doors opened she stepped inside, taking her small place at the wall, centered and crowded by the taller mammals. A quickly going penguin squeezed out of their way as her friends made their selves comfortable on each side of her.

"I like the wind look myself, there Lib." Sephire smirked into his arm sleeve, the other reaching out to close the doors.

"I feel as'f it'd make me look deranged, lah." The bear poked at her fur with a delicate claw and she yet to fix her wild mop of hair.

Arms crossed and eye brows quirked Libby smiled. "I can hear you."

\-----------------------------------------------  
On the second floor of the building a frantic Doe slammed a phone on its receiver. The nurse at the desk startled by her sudden exclamation, ducked down in flurry of papers falling about his space. The female then made her way, curly black locks were pushed back by a hoof. Tan jacket and slacks the Hospital's head of Directory tip toed her way to the elevator trolleys. Her long ears flicked to a group of awaiting residents that appeared to be rather sheepish at a lounging table. 

One in particular bounced to the front, a goat with a sly grin. Ready to take commands. Overlooking his, 'pick me, tall lady. Pick me' the Doe eyed her prize and tore after it,

"Armel!" The doe called out with the chime of doors opening, out stepping the panda she sought first. Nodding to the shorter companions she curtly greeted, 'Libby' before taking a soothing breath. Looking to the window shining over the rest areas she suddenly wished she were there herself. The three who'd she addressed stood still, eyes questioning as their board leader steadied herself.

"We have a critical patient, two minutes out." Taking in her stern, pointed expression Libby dropped her arms and stepped closer. Peering between the eager residents and her boss's concern something didn't add up. "Car crash. We've suspected a major head injury," Slowly added did the doe return her direction to the smallest of the three and then did Libby see the female's ears drawn back, "It's Lace Weaver."

Yep, that drew a line in Libby's numbers completely. And it wasn't that she sucked at math, even though she totally does.

Taking a deep breath herself, Libby simply blinked at the news. No emotion played on her face yet the Doctors mind ran over the words. Eyes scanning the desks top she spotted their patients open folder, she swallowed. At their side, Sephire cocked his head at the notion. Checking both of his associates and even dare he looked over at the trainees for insight. None. So the male circled onto the worried female and lowered his voice,

"Who's Lace Weaver?"

"Get ever' bag of 0- neg we have on hand." Armel ordered, his fluffy arm directing to a head nurse that happened to walk into the room, with her orders she turned right around. The Panda soon trailing after her in a flurry of white. Several of the attendees looked to one another with curious expressions and it was with the Head's,

"Have the Nuro Tending down here."

Two of the trainees nodded at that and sped to the nearest set of stairs, pursuit on getting the job done. The 'cock headed lamb' Libby had immediately dubbed, bleated in frustration at not getting assigned and wrinkled his short nose. She eyed his display and ignored him entirely. Instead near the back of the newbies group did she see the Animal she needed. 

"And get me the softest pair of scrubs, Tiny." They looked to a startled rhino that had been going over what looked to be records on his clipboard. A few wary glances at his colleges that he was as confused as they were. When he didn't respond, the Doc egged him on with the flick of her claws;

'yeah I meant you.' Seemingly content at the order the large male plopped himself to find them. Seeing as he read the Hospitals directions on the walls gave all the confidence Libby needed that she made the right choice.

'He'd get the job done. And not half fast either to impress someone.'

With that in the back of her mind for later, Libby sized up the remaining nurses before following after her picked doctor in training. Leaving Sephire and a very agitated Goat who'd tossed his name tag down and stopped back to the lobby. The other however stood in gaping confusion at everyone's departure that he threw up his arms with,

"Who's Lace Weaver?!"

\-----------------------------------------------  
7:18 a.m.  
Outside the Emergency Entrance door; Libby scurried through. Paws pulling down her Black scrub top, a comical bee patched on her right breast pocket. At each of her sides she was slightly wary of her larger friend's feet as they stormed out into the open. The small doctor grudgingly huffed at the sight, ahead of them several police cruisers were parked along side the lot. 

Officers scattered the scene, only paying attention to see that many of them had other animals in custody. In the heart of the ciaos she then eyeballed the large ambulance, its lights emitting an angry aura of flashing colors along the law enforcements that surrounded it. Upon its looming largeness, Libby pulled her stethoscope from around her neck,

"Run a full trauma panel!" Her direction called out and in that moment Armel hoisted her up from behind and placed her on a the awaiting wheeled table. 

At the sight, holding her expression steady while keeping her own feet still on the plastic covered gurney. A female beaver, neck brace supporting her head, upon further inspection Libby gravely noticed the skin around her scalp was torn off. She held back a oncoming gag. Their head Doe stopped to the side, sizing up the Peramedic with a hardened look, "What in the seven hells, happened?"

As she approached, the blue eyed Tiger shook his seemingly dazed head, eyeing the strapped patient did he then reply, "Escaped Prisoners, one of the convicts drove her off the road. I was told he was captured in the end, as well as the rest of these lot." A jab behind them indicated to the orange clothed animals she spied earlier. With the information, the doctors made work in checking her vitals. Libby immediately placed the stethoscope's bell to the Lace's chest once the others got her t-shirt ripped open.

"Not the heart, not the heart. Please not the heart." She chanted under her breath, the gurney moving along the small in between to the open doors.

A light was tested on Lace's eyes before the Head of command spoke, "Sluggish reactions," Her head whipping around to inspect herself before coming with a conclusion. Libby eyed the underlining frantic doe just as she clicked off her direction light, "A possible Subdural Haematoma," 

Each animal collected themselves at the news and raced along the walk way, into the hospital, their feet/paws heavy against the squeaky flooring. Doctor Armel tugged on the carts side bars as they guided the gurny through the second set of doors, his beady eyes stead fast on the path ahead of them,

"Keep e' lookout on that brain bleed!" He quickly added.

At that the cart stopped. Upon the news the Tiger had whipped up a Defibrillator, hearing as Libby recognized their patients heart had gone into v-fib. Rapid beatings, she could practically hear it rining in her ears. The Peramedic switched open a lever on the box he now held and pulled out two white paddles, "Charging." Everyone stood back except for both the smallest of the doctors and the Panda,

"Wait, wait!" Both hastefully stopped the male just before he had lowered the devices down onto her. A long pink scar running down her center, skin bear and fur absent on its face. Libby's frantic paws waved over it in alarm until the Tiger lowered the tools. The doctor breathed low,

"She has Situs Inversus, her organs are reversed, she was a patient of ours ten years ago." The doctor took the paddles from him, hoisting them the best she could until the left paddle was now on the right. Breathing deep, Libby focused as the tiger then replaced her hands with his own, following her instructions. Amari nodded at the explanation and hoisted her into his arms right off the table. Checking that everyone else were at least a foot away, and not touching the table top/ Lace.

The Tiger then shouted,

"Clear!"

\-----------------------------------------------  
7:23 a.m.  
Water splashed down a metal sink, the faucet on medium as claws scrubbed against each set under its steady stream. 

Libby stood on the counter, leaning over the basin to wash her hands, suds rinsing from down her elbow and across her pads. Up did she raise her two limbs, soft thin pieces of skin stretched from her paws down to the base of her abdomen. She tucked both 'wings' down, smoothing out any wrong flowing fur with the crook of her elbows. Making sure neither that or any other part of her regional top half touched anything she walked to the other side of the sterile room. 

Outside a plain glass window was the Surgery 2B. 6 doctors cluttered the area preparing the scene, wires here and there, ex-rays hung from its far left, monitors connecting to the very patient she currently thought about, Mrs. Lace Weaver laid in its center. Along a straightened sheet of blue, high in the area as the taller of the doctors in the room raised it so that it was accustomed to their height.

Moments like this, when the calm settles in and you get those few moments of clarity? Those precious moments that most take for granted. For instance, a series of commercials between a t'v show, it left on a cliff hanger so you fast forward through commercials in what would of taken an extra 5-10 minutes. What had caused to relate that with her current situation wasn't all that of an oddity. Besides the fact that she'd like to pick up on her own programs once she had some alone time. Libby sighed, repeating a mantra in her mind,

"We can change it all." Over and over till her own heartbeat evened out, she was ready.

Back to the room, seeing two very familiar mugs she grabbed a cloth from a waiting rack and began to rub down her fur. Her head up now, she pressed a red button that stuck out from the wall. This caused the main doors to slide open, along its side now a cat walk that stretched all the way out to the operating table. Down its surface she padded, plastic covered feet and hands shaking off any dampness that she could. 

The Rhino that she had called on earlier, made his way into her sights. His hooves holding open a sterilized green medical apron. Keeping the sleeves as high as he could, her current assistant helped her into the fabric.

"I need a gram of solu Medrol." Libby ordered after thinking on it, mouthing a thank you to horned mammal as he nodded. A silent one, isn't he? With that out there, Armel stood at a large screen, several arranged screen's of their patients brain were set on its face. The panda turned to her, his right hand indicating to the top left of the series of photos,

"Okay we have a Contusion on the left temporal lobe, with considerable bleeding."

Welp. Their go's her minutes of peace. If this had been with her watching a sad insurance commercial, she would of been pissed. Royally, offhanded-

"Nero surgeon is on his way." A nurse interrupted her inner monologue, Libby whipped to the females information and scoffed.

"What are we pulling him away from his golf game?"

Their head of command however stood apart from the rest, a hoof close to the patients cheek a look of something different in the doe's eyes. Libby could see the calm sense of silence there like the very one she had experienced. Watching as the female even a wary frown,

"Please don't die."

Out of the animals in the room, the smallest: Libby herself skirted down the extended pathway, paws padding quick till' she was hovering over Lace as well. She eyed the unconscious patient and did a once over her superior, "She has a heart of a male half her age she will fight, Ebele."

Ebele looked up to her friend with a soft grin. False relief.

At the edge of the room the panda tagged open a data pad and skimmed a claw over a report he'd just received. The company sized him on his blank expression before he returned their gazes,

"We gotta' decompress this er' cranial bleed before she crashes' again, she's precardiatic and her blood pressures rising." Amari follows after a goat who'd turned to him with a sterilized work tools package. He thanked her as he held the green cloth between his paws, "After what we went through to get 'er a new heart she can't die on this table." 

"Damn right she's not." Libby confirmed, a claw gently tightening the cuff of her glove down before she evened out the apron's arm sleeves. The female stepped towards the off rap and one foot after the other she was stable onto the metal surface of the operating slab. Others about the space stationed themselves equally around Lace, just outside the overlights view so it wouldn't blind them as they worked. She noted the slightly eerie shadows they caste around them and she shook it off with an outstretched paw.

Gageing her request Amari handed his friend the 0.1 triton drill, small in his claws but just right in hers. "I'll release the pressure myself," Nurses in sangria colored scrubs scattered from the floor, their bodies melded into one in a way as they herded from the room. "This heart has to live."

Switching on the drill with a flick of her claw, Libby lowered the whiring power tool to the top of Lace's scull.


End file.
